Buford football forfeits two wins for playing ineligible athlete

BUFORD -- According to a statement released Monday by Buford High School Athletics Director Dexter Wood, the school's football program will forfeit wins over Banks County High School and West Hall High School because an academically ineligible player was allowed to take part in the two games.

A letter to the Georgia High School Association was included with the statement, indicating that Buford had self-reported the violation. The school will also pay a $250 fine for the violation, according to the GHSA Structure for Fines.

The statement from the high school indicated that the player, who was not identified, played the last two plays in both the Banks County and West Hall games. He apparently had not played in any other games during the season.

The staff of the Athletics Department said it discovered that the player's name had been omitted from a required GHSA eligibility form. The football player had passed required classes the previous semester, but he was not on track for graduation.

The player's participation did not effect the outcome of either game -- contests Buford won 63-0 over Banks and 61-0 over West Hall.

The fourth-ranked Wolves, which had been 6-1 and undefeated in Region 7-AAA, now drop to 4-3 and 2-2 in 7-AAA, leaving North Hall (6-1, 4-0) alone in first place in the region.